Jailed Taiwan ex-president to publish third book: Report

Taipei: Former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian, who has been sentenced to life in prison for graft, was planning to publish his third book penned while in detention, a report said on Saturday.
Chen has become a popular author during his time behind bars while on trial with his two previous books – ‘Taiwan`s Cross’ and ‘Voices that Can`t Be Shut In’ -- topping the local bestseller charts with total sales of more than 90,000 copies, the local Apple Daily said.

The ex-leader was working on his third, tentatively titled ‘America`s Red Line’, on the intricate relations between Taiwan, China, the United States and Japan, the report said, a day after Chen was sentenced to life.

Chen, who stepped down in May last year, had blasted his graft trial as a vendetta triggered by his eight years in power when he was pursuing independence from China.

Chen detailed his regret in not achieving independence from China in his second book released in April – a collection of 50 letters he wrote to himself, his family as well as local and Chinese leaders.

"You didn`t declare Taiwan independent and hold a referendum on independence. You could have done it but you didn`t and you let the Taiwanese people down," Chen wrote, addressing himself.